Doppelgänger

Remark: This article describes the enemy called Doppelgänger in the original Tomb Raider and its remake Tomb Raider Anniversary. For information about the unlocable outfit in Tomb Raider Anniversary, see Doppelganger (TRA outfit) and for information about the unlockable outfit in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, see Doppelganger (GoL outfit).

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Doppelgänger
Occurrence	Tomb Raider Tomb Raider Anniversary
Enemy Type	immortal enemy
Classification	Mutants, Atlantean
Distinctiveness	The creature copies all of Lara's moves, so Lara is safe unless she attacks it. This enemy cannot be killed by conventional means. It must be tricked to fall down a shaft hidden below a trapdoor.

The Doppelgänger (also known as Bacon Lara by the fans due to its looks) is an Atlantean copy of Lara Croft created by Jacqueline Natla. This doppelgänger appears in Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider Anniversary. In Tomb Raider Underworld Lara sees herself face to face with an advanced version.

Occurrence

The Lara copy is first encountered in the Atlantis level of Tomb Raider. It reappears in the remake Tomb Raider Anniversary, in the Lost Island level The Great Pyramid.

Appearance

It has the red skinned, hairless appearance of all Atlantean mutants, but is noticeably female. It mimics Lara's movements exactly, like a mirror image. It is inaggressive, and cannot be killed by conventional means, as any damage done to it (caused by Lara shooting at it), is inflicted on Lara as well. So if the Doppelganger is killed by Lara's Firearms Lara dies as well.

There are differences between Lara and the Atlantean copy; one is that "Bacon Lara" does not have the equipment Lara does, like guns or backpack. More obviously it does not have skin, clothing or shoes.

In Tomb Raider, it seems to shoot bullets - although it has no guns. It uses the same animations as Lara does. However in Tomb Raider Anniversary, it appears to shoot fireballs, presumably generating them in a similar way to Natla.

Story

Lara manages to outsmart the Atlantean by tricking it into a pit of lava covered by a trapdoor.

Tomb Raider Anniversary

According to the documentation released with Tomb Raider Anniversary the Lara copy is "a hideous creature with no skin which mysteriously shares the exact physical characteristics of Lara Croft. Possessing only the most basic primal instincts, the creature mimics the actions of its adversaries. Lacking conscience, reason, and any kind of soul, the doppelgänger is at once both very dangerous and also quite vulnerable."

Tomb Raider Underworld

Main article: Lara's Doppelgänger

In Tomb Raider Underworld Natla has created a new advanced version of the doppelgänger. This version has been outfitted with skin, hair, even its iris is identical to Lara's, which enables her to invade the Croft Manor treasure room. It has been give the ability to act on its own accord, but can be given orders by its master.

Fan speculation

Fan opinion: This section contains personal opinions from a Tomb Raider fan.
(This notice may only be removed by a Lead Editor.)

One possible explanation for existence of the Atlantean copy of Lara is that it is a trap specifically designed by the Atlanteans and/or Natla to trick Lara into killing herself, or at least make it impossible for her to pass. However, given that Natla probably assumes that Lara has been killed after diving from the cliff outside the Sanctuary of the Scion and that the Atlanteans have never seen Lara before, it seems unlikely that the mutant would be hatched on the off chance that Lara would show up. Although the mutant mimics Lara's movements - maybe it has just hatched and is learning or "programming" itself by copying the first thing that it sees - it doesn't resemble Lara particularly in TR1, and its encounter with Lara may just be an unfortunate accident. Furthermore, in Anniversary the Doppelganger screams and flails as it falls down the lava pit, indicating it had some kind of self awareness and realised it was going to die. This means it was not just copying Lara.

Gallery

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  The Lara copy in Tomb Raider

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  The Lara copy in Anniversary

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  Again, in TRA